Five candidates are seeking the at-large school board seat with Noblesville Schools during the Nov. 8 general election.
Candidates Joe Forgey, Chuck Haberman, Melba Kiser, Brian Laskey and Misti Ray are all vying for the seat. Forgey, who currently serves as school board president, is seeking another term and was first elected in November 2018.
All five candidates bring different viewpoints about issues facing the district, what could be improved and why they believe they are the right person to represent constituents on the board. Below are responses in alphabetical order based on questionnaires that were sent out to election candidates and have been edited in some cases for space and style.
Joe Forgey
Age: 74
Education: Doctor of Dental Surgery, Indiana University;
B.S. Biology, Butler University
Occupation: Retired Pediatric Dentistry of Noblesville
City of residence: Noblesville
How long have you resided in your school board district: Forty-five years
Immediate family: Widowed, Cynthia Forgey; five adult children (Jennifer Jarrett, Kentfield, CA; Jill Moor, Noblesville; Jay Jarrett, Westfield; Jordan Huffman, Noblesville; Casey Jarrett, Carmel) ;13 grandchildren (five attend Noblesville Schools, 1 NHS graduate)
Website or best way for voters to learn more about you: Facebook page Joe Forgey for Noblesville School Board
Previous political experience: Four years Board of School Trustees Noblesville Schools, two years board president
Why do you want to run for school board?
I have lived and worked as a pediatric dentist in Noblesville for 45 years. My five children attended Noblesville Schools, and five of my grandchildren are current Noblesville students. I want my grandchildren to have the same great learning experience that my children received at Noblesville.
What are your qualifications for this office?
I have 45 years of experience working with children and parents in our community both inside and outside of our schools. During this time, I have served in many capacities including dental health guest lecturer and career fair participant. I also served on the Miller Backers and Miller Ambassadors. I was an assistant NHS girls soccer coach and on various other committees as needed. Most recently as School Board President I led the search for our new superintendent, Dr. Dan Hile. I am a guest lecturer at Butler University School of Education on school board practices. The relationships I have with other school board presidents and school administrators in our county, plus my relationships with community leaders would be put to good use.
What are the top three issues that your campaign will focus on?
Our teachers are the backbone of Noblesville Schools. Recruiting and retaining the very best for our student learning is my top priority.
To maintain strong learning schools must be funded. This comes from the state legislature and local funds. From my position on the board I will continue to watch over funds judiciously to minimize the impact to taxpayers. Strong schools make for a strong community.
My third issue is helping to implement the Hamilton County Center for Career Achievement (an agreement between all six Hamilton County school corporations to provide career and vocational training to students in the county).
What do you see as strengths at the district?
Noblesville Schools is an “A” district as rated by the Indiana Department of Education.
We have been recognized in the top 1% nationally for our science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) curriculum. Noblesville High School has been named to the national Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Roll. Our graduates are among the highest scholarship ($6.3 million in 2022) and advanced college credit earners in the state. NHS has the largest internship program in the state and has been named a top advanced manufacturing education partner.
What do you see as areas of improvement at the district?
To provide career and vocational training by implementing the Hamilton County Center for Career Achievement.
How can public schools help student test scores reach pre-pandemic levels?
We are already seeing a rebound from the pre-pandemic test scores. The federal funds that Noblesville received have been used to provide additional learning time for targeted areas that fell behind due to the pandemic.
How do you feel about the district’s efforts to address student safety? What changes, if any, would you like to see made?
On my watch, Noblesville Schools has implemented over 50 new safety measures to protect our students and employees. We currently have a student resource officer in all 10 of our schools. The district has an extensive safety protocol that is not made public for security reasons. We continually look at best practices in school safety as they continue to evolve.
Something you want people to know about you
My life’s mission in my professional and personal life is to make a difference in the life of a child.
Chuck Haberman
Age: 38
Education: B.S., Organizational Leadership and Supervision from IUPUI, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology; MPS, Organization Development and Change from Penn State University; Executive Certificate, Economic Development from Univ. of Oklahoma, Economic Development Institute
Occupation: Assistant economic development director, City of Noblesville
City of residence: Noblesville
How long have you resided in your school board district: Six-and-a-half years
Immediate family: Wife. Kari, daughter, Paige, and son, Connor
Website or best way for voters to learn more about you: electchuckhaberman.com
Previous political experience: None
Why do you want to run for school board?
I’m running for school board because I’m passionate about ensuring we continue to provide the best for the kids and young adults in our community. As an Economic Development professional, I know firsthand how critical our workforce is to the future of our community; every conversation begins and ends with workforce. A strong K-12 education system is the cornerstone of a solid workforce.
What are your qualifications for this office?
I feel I’m uniquely qualified for this office because of the combination of my education and professional experience. My education and experience are focused on organizations’ structures, performance, and how to plan for and implement effectively for change. The majority of my professional experience in Noblesville has been focused primarily on talent and workforce, which has placed my work interests in the nexus between education and industry. As a school board member, I’ll be able to utilize my pragmatic, analytic decision-making abilities, coupled with my strong empathetic, critical listening skills to work with the school’s administration, teachers, parents, and the community at large to ensure we continue to provide the best for our students.
What are the top three issues that your campaign will focus on?
Life skills, employability and career development.
Life skills — such as personal financial management, critical thinking, and developing healthy lifestyle habits are all skills that need to be introduced at an early age. Since moving to Noblesville, I’ve spent my entire professional career supporting workforce development in central Indiana and beyond. As a school board member, I will continue to work to provide students the opportunity to explore, understand, and engage careers. I want kids and young adults to understand they have the ability to define their own success; whether that’s through military service, college, apprenticeship, or some other training, it requires becoming a lifelong learner.
Communication and accountability – When elected to the school board I will practice open and honest communication; listening, understanding, and being a voice for the thoughts, ideas, and concerns of the community. I will also hold myself, my peers, and the administration accountable for their performance in carrying out their duties.
Financial stewardship – I believe a strong school system requires strategic financial planning. From the brief inside look during my Miller Ambassadors course, the school district’s community leadership program, I think Noblesville Schools has done a good job managing borrowing costs, utilizing referendum funding, and maintaining an AA+ credit rating.
What do you see as strengths at the district?
Outstanding academic and extracurricular programming. Many programs have been recognized across the state and country as being extraordinary. We’re also home to the state’s largest internship program.
What do you see as areas of improvement at the district?
I think there is a great opportunity for the district to benefit from the economic growth within the community. I also think we can continue to expand career exploration opportunities.
How can public schools help student test scores reach pre-pandemic levels?
I think doing everything within their power to prioritize in person instruction is very important.
How do you feel about the district’s efforts to address student safety? What changes, if any, would you like to see made?
I think the district has done a great job addressing student safety. In many respects, Noblesville Schools is leading the way on school safety, and continuing to monitor performance. We are one of the only districts in the state that have an officer in every building in the system.
Something you want people to know about you
One of my greatest qualities is my perseverance. I nearly lost the ability to walk, but I didn’t give up, kept working hard, and ended up joining the United States Marine Corps four years and 10 months after being run over by a semi-truck.
Melba Kiser
Age: Not necessary
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business with a major in management
Occupation: Retired
City of residence: Noblesville
How long have you resided in your school board district: Since 2019
Immediate family: Married to my husband for almost 40 years, one daughter, two grandchildren.
Website or best way for voters to learn more about you: Facebook.com, Melba Kiser for Noblesville School Board. KiserForSchoolBoard.Wixsite.com/KiserForSchoolBoard
Previous political experience: I have been a precinct committeeman for the Hamilton County Republican Party since 2020.
Why do you want to run for school board?
My parents sacrificed everything to emigrate from Cuba. I was blessed to receive a great education and to be a part of the fabric of the United States. I want to make sure that my grandchildren, and all children, have an opportunity to receive the same quality education that I had so that they can pursue their goals and dreams.
What are your qualifications for this office?
I have over 20 years of experience working on teams with people from diverse disciplines and various functions in the organization. I feel that my experience in a team environment will serve me well to work with members of the school board as well as community members and leaders.
What are the top three issues that your campaign will focus on?
Increase students’ proficiency in math and reading, especially in the elementary grades, continue pushing for legislation in our state that will improve our education system for K-12, and put kids first with age-appropriate policies that better protect their rights.
What do you see as strengths at the district?
The high school offers college prep courses and opportunities for college credits before graduation, as well as tech and non-traditional programs. The district offers opportunities to pursue athletics, music, and the arts. We also have the IEP program for those students who need a little more help. These are all areas of strength although we can always build upon them.
What do you see as areas of improvement at the district?
Communication and transparency are areas that I feel we are lacking. We have some parents, grandparents, teachers, school board members, and administration who believe that they are at odds with each other. I believe that this is from a lack of sufficient communication and transparency in how decisions are made, why they are made, and what the outcome of those decisions is.
How can public schools help student test scores reach pre-pandemic levels?
The first thing we need to do is to help students feel safe and supported after the last couple of years of chaos. Then we can address where students are doing well and where they are falling behind. This will be different for each individual student. Developing a plan that includes the student, teacher, and parents/guardians can help each student to progress and get back on track pre-pandemic.
How do you feel about the district’s efforts to address student safety? What changes, if any, would you like to see made?
I feel the district has made a good effort to address student safety with enhanced security cameras, emergency communication systems, the safety dog/handler program and other measures. I think we need to look better at protecting the kids when they are in the playgrounds at school.
Something you want people to know about you
I have always believed that there are at least two sides to every story, and I will serve on the school board using that philosophy. I will listen to all sides before deciding on any issue that comes up before the board.
Brian Laskey
Age: 36
Education: B.A. Political Science from Purdue University, Master of Nonprofit Management and Master Certificate in Program Management from Regis University, SPHR certified, plus other HR credentials.
Occupation: Senior director of human resources for The Villages of Indiana, a nonprofit focused on foster care and adoption across the state.
City of residence: Noblesville
How long have you resided in your school board district: About 2 2/1 years
Immediate family: My wife Stephanie, our 5-year-old son Aiden who we adopted at birth, through domestic infant adoption, and our two dachshunds Oscar and Abby.
Website or best way for voters to learn more about you: linktr.ee/laskey4noblesvilleschools
Previous political experience: None
Why do you want to run for school board?
My son entered kindergarten this year and I felt called to support the wonderful people supporting him. They should not have to choose between doing their job or being treated with respect. They are supporting our children day in and day out, yet we underpay our teachers and subject them to name calling. We need to treat them like the professionals they are and give teachers the respect they deserve.
What are your qualifications for this office?
I have a background in nonprofit management, and currently I work at one of the largest nonprofits in the state. I was the governance chair for an arts board, in addition to also serving as the founding Board President of another nonprofit. While I have worked in nonprofits and youth service for years, I also have an extensive for-profit background and understand how to build relationships and networks there. I understand how to get things done. I have worked for medium sized regional businesses up to Fortune 50 companies.
What are the top three issues that your campaign will focus on?
Teacher pay: Noblesville is drastically lagging behind Hamilton County when it comes to peer districts in terms of teacher pay.
College and career readiness: We score below the state in terms of Career Readiness. We are moving forward with a new Hamilton County Career Center, but we need to engage the community
STEAM education: Our STEM has been ranked in the 1 percent nationally for the high school, we need to see however, our Arts programs especially our music have been just as recognized but have gotten very little. We need to ensure the arts are taken care of.
What do you see as strengths at the district?
I believe our biggest strength is our talented staff. We need to allow our teachers, administrators, and non-certified staff to do their jobs because they do it well. When I looked at the start of the year, our job openings we were much lower compared to peer districts.
What do you see as areas of improvement at the district?
I believe increasing teacher pay is an important first step. We also need to ensure that teachers have supplies they need to succeed. We have to make sure our children feel comfortable coming to school. They have to be able to be their authentic selves in the classroom because if they have to hide who they are they will be so worried about that to actually pay attention to the lesson.
How can public schools help student test scores reach pre-pandemic levels?
Standardized tests scores are not the end all measure of student success. They are a snapshot of how a student performed on one test on one day. When we place so much focus on standardized tests that is what is taught and not actual necessary course material. We also need to acknowledge that coming out of the pandemic, our first- and second-graders are just now experiencing a real school year because they only know “Covid school.” We have to teach them how to be in school again, how to handle the rigor of full day, in person education and face to face peer interaction before we can fully tackle improving a test that the Legislature has changed year over year.
How do you feel about the district’s efforts to address student safety? What changes, if any, would you like to see made?
I believe the Noblesville is one of the safest districts in the state due to our investments from our referendum. This was necessary, and needs to be maintained. What happened at NWMS can never happen again anywhere. One area of concern that was recently brought to my attention, is how vulnerable our students who walk to sand from school are. Last week at NEMS a number of students were accosted by solicitors on the sidewalk out front because it was deemed a “public” space. We need to create a “no-zone” during school hours to ensure they can get out of the school safely.
Something you want people to know about you
I am passionate about education and our schools. I have no other political aspirations. The school board is what I want to do because I’m committed to my son, and to your children. People running for school board are saying a lot of things, but the truth is, individually we have no power or authority. All the board’s power comes as a group. I promise you this, I will always listen and be your voice on that board.
Misti Ray
Age: Candidate declined to provide
Education: Noblesville education, state licensed Cosmetologist, state licensed Realtor/Broker.
Occupation: Realtor of 14 years
City of residence: Noblesville
How long have you resided in your school board district: Lifelong district resident
Immediate family: Husband (Brian), three children, my parents and my in-laws all live in Noblesville
Website or best way for voters to learn more about you: Website: mistirayformillers.wixsite.com/mrayforschoolboard; Facebook: facebook.com/MistiRayForNoblesvilleSchoolBoard
Previous political experience: None
Why do you want to run for school board?
I’m running for school board to help make a positive difference for our students and community. I want to help the district refocus on academics, help increase academic scores and see how we can better support our wonderful teachers who truly want to teach! We need to eliminate this background noise in the classroom and get back to the basics. I’m a mom, not a politician!
What are your qualifications for this office?
I’m a Noblesville native, mom of three in my 22nd consecutive year of having a child in Noblesville Schools. As a Realtor of 14 years, I know the priority families place on school districts when searching for a home. I’ve been a substitute teacher here for 5-plus years and served on the Reading Review Committee for the district and am a Miller Ambassador 2018 graduate. I’ve served on a variety of boards such as HOA, preschool, PTO, a local youth sports organization (NEFL), taught VBS and have been a classroom volunteer on a regular basis.
What are the top three issues that your campaign will focus on?
When there are several areas you want to focus on, including improving teacher workload, it’s hard to choose only three! If I must choose only three, they would be: student academic achievement, transparency, and parents’ rights
What do you see as strengths at the district?
While our district is pretty amazing, a few strengths worth mentioning are staying current with the necessary technology for students and staff, offering a variety of high school classes, our community & our school district is supportive of our sports programs, we provide a variety of opportunities for everyone, we have some pretty amazing staff and teachers.
What do you see as areas of improvement at the district?
While our areas of strength far exceed the number of areas needing improvement, they are no less important. We need to work on ways to improve our standardized test scores, without teaching to the test, if they are to continue being a requirement. I also know we need to work on improving our communication & transparency with the community as a school administration.
How can public schools help student test scores reach pre-pandemic levels?
To reach pre-pandemic test score levels, we need to stop focusing on social justice, divisive and political topics and refocus on academics. This is definitely something I would work with the other four board members and Dr. Hile to help develop a plan. I believe the standardized tests need to be reviewed with state leaders as the tests have evolved drastically over the last few years and are far more intense, even for third grade.
How do you feel about the district’s efforts to address student safety? What changes, if any, would you like to see made?
While I do appreciate the safety measures in place, the district’s efforts to address safety seem to be more reactive than proactive. I think a review of all safety measures in place is needed to see what improvements would be beneficial and make the most sense. We don’t want the children to feel like they’re walking into prison, but we also need to make sure they’re safe. This might include more than the visual safety features.
Something you want people to know about you?
I’m not a polished politician or a politician of any kind. So, I may not always have the right words or say what you want to hear, but it will be the truth. You can always count on me to be truthful, to fight for what I believe in yet always willing to listen and discuss differences. I’m a mom who wants to help make a difference. Right now, we need to focus on education by letting the teachers teach and letting the parents parent.
